School: Bouleenshere (C.) (roll number 12865)

Location:
Booleenshare, Co. Kerry
Teacher:
Mary A. Walsh
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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0417, Page 513

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The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0417, Page 513

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  1. On Christmas night we light candles in every window in honour of Christ being born in the stable at Bethlehem, 1938 years ago. St. Stephen's Day there are always races in Ballyheigue, and on that day also people go around from house to house gathering money, carrying a dead wren on a holly bush.
    They generally have a rhyme made about it. "The wren, the wren, the king of all birds, St. Stephen's day she was caught in the furze". On the night of the Sixth of January at twelve o'clock the water is turned into wine. At St. Brigid's day people go around with a "Biddy", which is made of a stick and a mangold for a head.
    On November night we get beans and put them in the ashes and if the two beans, one owned by a girl and another by a boy will come together there will be a marriage in the story, and if not there will be no marriage in the story. Then they get apples and put them in a cord and hang them from a rafter of a house. These they try to catch with their mouths. The first day in the year which is
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    Transcribed by a member of our volunteer transcription project.
    Language
    English
    Informant
    William Crosbie
    Gender
    Male
    Age
    80
    Address
    Tiduff, Co. Kerry